Grain-kiln



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. I. S. STOVER.

Grain Drier.

No. 8,518. Patented Nov. 11, 1851.

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. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. I. S. STOVER.

Grain Drier.

No. 8,518. Patented .Nov. H, 1851.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I. S. STOVER, OF ERININNA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GRAIN-KILN.

Specification of Letters Patent No To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Isaac S. STovER, of Erwinna, in the county of Bucks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Kilns for Drying Grain, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a plan of my improved gram kiln; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same, and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section at the line 00 m of Fig. 2.

My kiln is constructed to receive, dry, and discharge grain continuously.

It consists of a circular bed, at whose periphery the undried grain is fed, and upon which it is evenly spread and moved progressively toward a central opening therein by means of a revolving rake; and of an oven beneath, into which the grain from the bed is discharged and through which it is progressively moved by revolving rakes from the center outward to an opening or spent at the side of the kiln, where it is discharged when the process of drying is completed.

The kiln as represented in the accompanying drawing is of a cylindrical form and contains within it afurnace A in which the fuel is burned to heat the kiln. nace is surmounted by a plate B which distributes the flame throughout the kiln, and prevent-s it from impinging directly against the bottom plate or floor C of the oven. This oven is cylindrical; it is formed by the circular bottom plate C, the vertical cylindrical sides a, ct, of the kiln, and by a hollow roof D into which the flame from beneath the floor of the oven is conducted by a fine E. This hollow oven roof is annular and is crossed by a partition drawn in red lines in Fig. 1 which forces the flame, smoke, &c., entering through the flue E to make its entire circuit before they escape at the same side of the kiln at which they entered and pass off to the chimney through the flue G. The fines are fitted with suitable dampers or valves 6 c, by means of which the current of flame, smoke, &c.: can be made to pass either directly to the chimney, as is necessary when the fire is lighted, or cir cuitously through the annular roof; or the valves may be set partially open so as to throw a greater or less portion of the flame through the annular roof as may be found advisable. The upper side of this annular This fur- 8,518, dated November 11, 1851.

roof is formed by a circular plate H which constitutes the bed upon which the grain is fed. This bed has an opening at its center to allow the grain to fall into the oven beneath. It also extends outward to the yertical sides of the kiln which rise above it and prevent the grain from escaping at its periphery.

A vertical shaft I is stepped upon the oven floor at the center of the kiln, and its upper extremity is supported by a cross-bar J. This shaft is fitted with a beveled wheel K whose teeth engage with those of a beveled pinion L, which is secured to the inner extremity of a horizontal shaft N. The latter shaft is supported by the cross-bar J, and is caused to revolve by some convenient and suitable prime mover. That part of the vertical shaft within the oven is fitted with four arms 0, to which rakes P are attached, whose blades incline as shown at Fig. 3. That part of the shaft above the bed H is also fitted with four arms R, to which also rakes S are attached, and the blades of these latter rakes are inclined in a direct-ion the reverse of those in the oven.

A spout T, through which the grain is fed, is secured to the side of the kiln and is fitted with a gate or valve (Z by means of which the rate at which the grain is fed is regulated. An opening U is also made through the side of the oven, and a spout is fitted thereto through which the dried grain is discharged.

WVhen grain is to be dried with this apparatus, fire is made in the furnace, and the horizontal shaft N is put in motion, thus causing the vertical shaft I to revolve in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2; by which operation the rakes are caused to revolve in the directions indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1 and 3. As the fire burns, the heat upon the oven floor is equally distributed by the equalizing plate 13. The smoke and flame pass out through the flue E and are conducted through the annular oven roof D, whence they escape through the flue G that leads to the chimney. By this operation the oven is heated both above and below, while the bed H is also heated by the flame and smoke passing through the hollow oven roof. The grain is now fed upon thebed H through the spout T at its periphery. As the rakes S revolve the grain thus fed is progressively and slowly moved by the oblique rake blades toward the central opening through which it drops into the oven beneath; it is here acted upon by the lower set of rakes P, which progressively move it to the periphery of the oven whence it is discharged through the spout U. As the grain moves over the bed H it is highly heated and the process of drying is commenced, the moisture upon its surface and the greater part of its internal moisture being evaporated so that it is not scorched when subjected to the more intense heat of the oven beneath, as is the'case withthose drying kilns in which the grain is subjected to a high temperature before it is properly prepared by a preliminary heating; hence in its passage through the oven, where it is heated both from above and below the grain will be thoroughly dried.

The hollow oven roof performs two import-ant offioes. In the first place it prevents the steam arising from th grain on the floor of the oven from passing through the grain heating upon the bed H above, and in the second place it forms a heated radiating surface by whose action the u per face of the grain lying on the floor 0 the oven is heated, while its lower face is heated by the oven floor, by which means the drying or desiccation of the grain can be carried further without danger of charring or burning and is more equably effected than in kilns heretofore used.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is The'combination of the heat-ing chambers D with the twodrying beds one above and the other below as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ISAAC S. STOVER.

Witnesses:

E. S. RENwIoK, I. H. WATSON. 

